Adelaide's ducks Herman, Taffy, Ginger and Coco have graduated from the brooder and their daily contained-to-a-tub swim into the real pond. We added Stellaluna too. She's been around since we moved here, sweet thing - a gift for Adelaide from a friend. And that duck - who has lived amongst the chickens believing herself to be one (hence the name from the children's book) - has consistently been laying eggs the whole time. She's reliable, that one. We introduced her to the four new ducklings, and just as soon as the pasture with the pond was fenced in fully, introduced her to the pond too. And she took to it, well, like they say. Like a duck takes to water. And now, among other ducks finally, she leads the four of them around - swimming in this pond all day long as they do. Full of tadpoles and bugs and all other good things, I think they're happy. We are too - I added a bench at the far end of the pond and now I look out there often to see Adelaide sitting there with a notebook drawing, or Ezra reading a book. And in the moments while I'm waiting for dinner in the oven, or pausing between one project to the next, sometimes I sneak out there for a little sit-down myself. Just a few minutes watching the ducks, listening to the sheep in the next pasture over, sometimes with a little one next to me. Such a simple pleasure it is. But oh, how peaceful and good.